Lovers of Freedom
by Milu Georgia
Summary: Microsoft bought Minecraft. It could be the end for the Youtubers. But then a sudden phone call brings the solution: Continue your work for Microsoft. Adam, still hurt due to his break up, sees an end to his misery, but there is one condition: Reunify Team Crafted. - Skyenja / SkyCanadian - Skydoesminecraft & BajanCanadian
1. Prologue: Offer

Welcome readers to my second english fanfiction on this side. I've written a lot of stories so far, but they were mostly in german. If you see any _grammar and/or spelling mistakes_, please tell me!

_Now some informations for you about the story:  
><em>**Chapters:** Not sure yet, for now I think there'll be 15 - 20. Usually I write 2000 words per chapter, but because of my inexperiece in writing english fanfictions, there'll be less words.  
><strong>Uploads:<strong> I plan on updating at least once a week, but it depends on the comments you guys send me. If there are none, then there will be no chapters. Sadly I had too many bad experiences in the past, regarding comments. If you want new chapters, then please leave me a few words. It only takes a few seconds for you, but for me a reaction to what I write is really important.  
><strong>Pairings:<strong> None yet, probably Skyenja later.  
><strong>POV:<strong> Team Crafted; changing  
><strong>When?:<strong> The story sets now/ fall of 2014. The Minecraft - Microsoft incident is the main topic.  
><strong>Music tips:<strong> For each chapter I've chosen a specific song, please listen to it while you read the chapter. It'll help you to be in the 'right' mood. You'll find the link to the song below the name. Just look it up, listen and enjoy the chapter. =)  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13 Some romance, some swearing, but nothing too serious.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Nope, no member of Team Crafted belongs to me. Otherwise I wouldn't write fanfictions. ;P

That's all from my side, if there are further questions please feel free to ask them. =)  
>Also check out my <em>twitter <em>- that way you'll know when I'm about to upload a new chapter!  
><strong> Milumaus**

* * *

><p><strong>Music <strong>**tip****:  
>Muse – <strong>**Undisclosed****Desires  
>youtube: <strong>watch?v=bWTuKd2lTo4

* * *

><p><span>Lovers of Freedom<span>

**Prologue****:  
><strong>_Offer_

The worst was the silence.  
>Suddenly the beautiful house he owned seemed way too big and intimidating. Before there had been Alesa and her laughter had often filled the house, while Adam had woken up with a smile on his face. When he would sneak down the stairs to the kitchen, Milton and Bailey would happily join him prior to a soft kiss on his lips by his wonderful girlfriend.<p>

Ex girlfriend.  
>God, the very thought of it was crushing him.<p>

The shades kept the bright sun outside and gave Adam the imagination of his own little world, while he stayed in his bedroom filled with darkness. Curled up beneath the sheets he tried to hide from everything and everyone, already knowing that countless tweets were waiting for him. Tweets, comments, haters… Same stuff. But this time it would be worse. A lot of people loved Alesa and he knew that the fans behaved different this time. Not all would respect their decision, not all would see it as a decision on both sides.  
>After the first horrible comments he went to bed yesterday evening.<p>

But he had to get out of the bed eventually.  
>It took him ten minutes of just standing in front of the closed door, before he took a deep breath and finally exited the large room. As soon as he walked down the corridor to the bathroom, the silence and the reality overwhelmed him. Alesa left. She took their two dogs. It wasn't the first time for her to go, they had many nearly break-ups before, but this time…<p>

They both knew that there was no going back.  
>Not this time.<p>

His hands began to shake again, but it was worse than the day before. He could barely contain himself – not that it was necessary with nobody else in the house – and when he reached the bathroom, he grabbed the first object he could get and threw it across the room. The glass in his hand shattered on the wall and his own loud, angry scream could be heard.

The next minutes went by in a blur. He panted heavily, as he splashed cold water on his face. It was pale, dark circles were under his eyes and the common brightness was gone. The shaking didn't stop and tears welled up in his eyes again. Before he could watch himself cry in the mirror, he left the room and fled downstairs to the kitchen.

The sun threw soft patterns onto the floor and all in all it would've been a nice morning, if stuff just… just wouldn't suck at the moment. Adam always tried to tell himself that one day everything would be all right, but as time went on he gave up his precious hope more and more and more…

Because someone up there had to be messing with him, right?  
>His past.<br>Dawn.  
>Team Crafted.<br>Alesa.  
>Just to name a few things.<p>

The ringing of his phone disturbed his pessimistic thoughts and slowly he went to the living room. His hand was already reaching out to grab the phone, but he stopped shortly before answering the call. There could be no good news, right? It was probably his family or the guys, who wanted to check on him. He wrote every one of them a short message on Skype at the same time as the fateful tweet was published.  
>They knew he wasn't in the mood for an encouraging speech so he turned around and picked up his mobile phone. Time to face reality. He had to be there for the fans, they needed the videos and even though the thought stressed him out, he felt slightly comforted by it as well.<p>

The answering machine picked up the call.  
>"<em>Hello Mr. Dahlberg, this is Tom Murphy."<em>

Murphy? While he checked his various messages, Adam strained his ears. He didn't know why, but the name sounded familiar. He was distracted by a confusing message of Ty and a link. What could be so important? Ty knew that Adam needed a few-  
>Holy shit!<p>

"_I am Microsoft's director of corporate communications, corporate citizenship & community affairs. You probably know already the reason for my call."_  
>Adam held his breath and widened his eyes. No-fucking-way. The possibility had been there, yes, but that they would actually sell it- "We are so screwed," Adam whispered and lowered his mouth covering hand. Then he remembered the call and his head snapped back to the answering machine.<br>"_This is about your future, Mr. Dahlberg. I recommend you to pick up the phone."_

* * *

><p>Please tell me any <strong>mistake <strong>you find, I'm still learning English and really wanna improve. =)  
>Please leave a <strong>review<strong> and check out my **twitter**. That way you'll know when I'm about to upload a new chapter!  
>Milumaus

And remeber:_ The more comments, the sooner I'll update. ;)_


	2. Chapter 1: Confusion

**AN****:  
><strong>Before the chapter starts I want to thank **BlazetheDragonite, Jazzy & Guest **for their comments!  
>So... I had the chapter ready all day actually, but it was so hard so check it again for mistakes. I can't concentrate right now. Not since I saw <strong><em>Adam's tweet<em>**. Just check it out and leave him some nice words. It's killing me to see him like that. Srs. I'm so worried right now.**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Music tip:<br>Muse – Knights of Cydonia  
>youtube: <strong>watch?v=z9D71pQaTnc

* * *

><p><span>Lovers of Freedom<span>

**Chapter 1:  
><strong>_Confusion_

* * *

><p>The talk was very short.<br>Mr. Murphy simply invited him to a personal meeting here in Seattle.  
>Nonetheless Adam was so shocked, that he had to sit down the second they ended the phone call.<p>

His hands were still shaking, as he put his phone down on the table and his head on his knees. His sitting position on the sofa made it hard for him to breathe properly, but at the moment he couldn't care less. Adam had to collect his thoughts because he feared that his panic wasn't completely unfounded. And if that was the case, they had to react quickly.

So first of all:  
>Microsoft bought Minecraft.<p>

Everyone had anticipated it already, they had feared it, but none of them had thought that it could actually get real. But now it was valid, the deal's been done and no one knew how their future would look like.  
>In a pessimistic moment Adam thought about the well-known '<em>What if…?'<em> and groaned painfully, as he imagined himself working in the same place again as before his YouTube career. Never again, he told himself and stood up abruptly. Black spots danced in front of his eyes, he got up too fast, but after a few seconds of standing completely still they were gone. He had to focus his thoughts again.

Second:  
>Microsoft called him just a few hours after the deal was done.<p>

They had something planned out since the beginning of the negotiations. Whatever it was, it obviously had to do with the youtubers. So why did they call him of all people? Did they saw him as some kind of leader? Adam didn't like the thought, but his amount of subscribers could have put an idea into their heads.  
>What were they expecting him to do? Should he influence the others and convince them to give up their channels in a peaceful way? Another thought occurred to him and Adam got even paler than before. Maybe he was just the first to disappear. The most subscribed Minecraft-Youtuber. It would be a very effective way to scare the rest off.<p>

He nearly got a heart attack as the phone rang again.  
>Two seconds later he was already out of the room and sprinting up the stairs to his own. He didn't care about who was calling. The thought alone was enough to scare him off, that it could be someone from Microsoft again and right now he needed to concentrate. The coming decision he had to make – whatever it actually was about – could decide about his future.<p>

As soon as he arrived in his bedroom, he closed the door behind himself. The ringing of the phone disappeared and just now he dared to breathe again. Even though the darkness in the room had been comforting to Adam before, he couldn't bear it now. Abruptly he rushed over to the windows and opened them, after he drew the curtains aside. The cold and clean air outside was refreshing and eagerly he gasped for air. Due to the end of the summer the temperatures dropped every day, but right now he didn't mind at all.

For a moment Adam closed his eyes and leaned against the window frame. Suddenly the break-up with Alesa felt like it happened ages ago. It still hurt pretty badly nonetheless, but currently there were other, bigger things on his mind. He didn't want to admit it and something inside of him screamed at Adam for even thinking it, but for now it just wasn't as important. And then another thought hit him.

Third:  
>He had to take at look at twitter.<p>

It wasn't just because of the break-up. The fans were probably going crazy about it and he feared all the hate-mails, but he had to check the accounts of his friends immediately. Maybe they were called as well. Maybe it wasn't as bad as he expected.  
>Hesitatingly Adam went to his night stand and picked up his mobile phone. The screen lit up. He had several missed calls and messages. Friends. His family. He had to deal with it later. Now was not the time.<p>

Twitter opened.  
>The new messages he'd received were countless.<br>Before he even got the chance to think about looking them up, his fingers had already begun to scroll down. New video, new video, random stuff… Then he saw the first tweets.

* * *

><p><strong>Jorge CyaNideEPiC<strong> _CyaNideEPiC__ · 3h_  
>I really hope that Microsoft sees the content creators YouTubeTwitch/modders & others as asset to minecraft community not a burden.

* * *

><p><strong>Ty<strong> _Deadloxx · 3h_  
>I think it's good that Microsoft bought minecraft, it could lead to great updates and more exciting stuff.<p>

* * *

><p><em>SubZeroExtabyte<em>_ retweeted  
><em>**Zack Scott** _ZackScott __ · __2h  
><em>I knew something was up with Mojang tightening the EULA and canceling Minecon this year. Hopefully Microsoft caters to the community.

* * *

><p>They had not a single clue about what was going on behind the scenes. Not a word about a call or something suspiciously going on. Nobody knew anything. So should he make the beginning?<br>Nervously Adam glanced up from his phone. He was sitting on his bed, pressed to the wooden head of it and breathed in the fresh air again. Would the guys from Microsoft chop his head off? They had no reason to do so, right? It was just a phone call, no negotiations, no warning, no secret stuff as far as he knew.

Screw them.  
>His fingers rushed over the display as he typed in a short message.<p>

Somehow he had to get rid of this tension, before it was killing him. It was too much to bear it alone right now and to be honest he couldn't care less about their reaction. Maybe they would even reply to him and show the world, what really was going on.

* * *

><p><strong>Adam <strong>_ SkyDoesMinecraf · 1m  
><em>Seems to be more srs than you guys thought. Just got a phone call by a certain company. -at- tpemurphy

* * *

><p>His fingers were shacking as he put down his phone onto the mattress. During the minute it took him to go to be bathroom and to come back he'd already received a ton of messages. Fans were flipping out - he should've thought about his choice of words beforehand - and some of the guys had replied as well. Even someone he didn't expect to.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Ty<strong> _ Deadloxx · 50s_  
>-at- SkyDoesMinecraf ?WUT?<p>

* * *

><p><strong>SubZeroExtabyte<strong> _SubZeroExtabyte · 38s  
><em> -at- SkyDoesMinecraf SKYPE NOW

* * *

><p><strong>JeromeASF<strong> _JeromeASF · 21s  
><em> -at- SkyDoesMinecraf -at- SubZeroExtabyte Count me in

* * *

><p>Before he could change his mind again, Adam got up and into his computer room to start said program. If they were really planning something against the Youtubers, they had to prepare. No matter what happened, Adam was sure of one thing.<br>They wouldn't go down without a fight.

* * *

><p>Leave me a comment, please, I don't mind constructive critique. <em>The next chapter is already coming out on Tuesday if you leave me some comments. <em>;)_  
>(BecauseIt'llBeASpecialDayForMeYesTuesdayIsMyBirthdayIamThatShamelessAndJustTellYou)<em>**  
><strong>Check out my **twitter **as well. That way you'll know when I'm about to upload a new chapter!  
><em><strong> Milumaus**_

**AND:**_**  
><strong>_I have now a page! Feel free to ask me questions about my stories or stuff you want to know!  
><em><strong> Ask_Milu**_


	3. Chapter 2: No Choice

**AN**:**  
><strong>Before the chapter starts I want to thank **BlazetheDragonite, TheAmazingQwerty & Cheese PuffXx **for their comments!  
>So I've looked up some vids of Mitch... and some with Adam and Mitch in it... god... those feels... expect more soon. I just can't stop! ='D<br>Also leave me a comment, please, I don't mind constructive critique. _Remember: The more comments, the sooner the chapters will be uploaded! ;)_

* * *

><p><strong>Music tip:<br>Dream Koala – Saturn Boy  
>youtube: <strong>watch?v=1yyajKaGk4Y

* * *

><p><span>Lovers of Freedom<span>

**Chapter 2:  
><strong>_No Choice_

* * *

><p>"Mitch, can you get the bread from the kitchen please?"<p>

A sigh escaped his lips, as he nodded and returned from the garden into the big house. It was one of the last warm days of the summer and currently his family was having a small party. Some friends and neighbors had been invited and so far they had a lot of fun. The only disadvantage was the fact that his mother forbid him to look on his mobile phone. No twitter, no instagram, not even a message to Jerome or Ryan. Live was cruel.

The temperature difference was a pleasure. His skin was burning from staying too long in the sun and the cold air helped him cooling down. As he arrived in the kitchen, the voices from the outside died down and Mitch could enjoy a few minutes alone. He loved the company of their friends, especially when he could be with his family, but sometimes he needed those few minutes to calm down.

He was a happy and carefree guy, but since the break-up of Team Crafted a few months ago, things had been… different.  
>All too often he would think back and remember their times together. Back then they'd thought it would go on forever. Minecraft, YouTube, their friendship…<br>Up until now he'd admitted to no one, that he missed all of it badly.

And it hurt to read the comments.  
>The haters were convinced that he was responsible for Adam leaving.<br>Some still couldn't forgive him for what happened to Seto, even though they never heard the full story.  
>And others were pulling him down with senseless, but nonetheless painful comments.<p>

He never talked about it, but they all knew.  
>His family, who sometimes tried to talk to him about it.<br>Jerome, who never approached him about it but could read the look in his eyes all too often.  
>They knew, so they gave him those few minutes alone to get all sentimental and emotional, but sometimes even that wasn't enough.<p>

In a sudden urge Mitch grabbed his phone, clenched his teeth and took a swing. _Just smash it_, a voice in his head insisted, _smash it and be free for a few hours_. No news, no messages, nothing. It would be heaven, Mitch imagined, being invisible to the outside world for some blissful hours. But he couldn't do it. Of course he couldn't. It was irresponsible, he had to be there, be present to the community and show his trademark smile.  
>When had he lost the fun in all this? The answer in his mind came straight away: Some months ago, as the Team had fallen apart because Mitch had failed them miserably. Every thought about a possible reunion was hopeless. How could they ever forgive him, if he even couldn't do it himself?<p>

The phone in the living room rang, but he paid it no attention. His hand lowered the undamaged mobile phone and slipped it back into his pocket. One second later Mitch put his head into his hands, with his elbows resting on the table. Desperately he gasped for air and tried to hold back the tears that would come eventually. Every once in a while he had to give in to the pressure and break apart a little bit more.

With Adam it had never been a problem.  
>As soon as those thoughts had crept into his mind, Mitch had looked for him and they'd talked whole nights about it. Afterwards he had always felt better and had gotten things straightened out with himself. Now he had to deal with the pain on his own, because Mitch didn't dare to talk about his feelings anymore. It had already ruined a precious friendship, he wouldn't risk another one.<p>

The ringing of the phone in the living room stopped.  
>A door was opened, footsteps followed, until he could hear a voice from the doorway to the kitchen.<br>Every other time, Mitch would have leaped up and tried to look as if nothing had happened, but this time he couldn't bring himself to do so. It was hard to keep up the act of the always smiling Mitch. He was tired of it.

"Mitch? Did you get the phone? We heard it ring- Are you alright?"  
>His father.<br>Mitch didn't trust his voice, so he refused to answer. Obviously he got worried and approached his unusually quiet son.  
>"Mitch?"<p>

The tone in his voice betrayed him. He knew exactly what was going on. Mitch held back a curse he couldn't have voiced anyway. Still he forced out some whispered words to keep his father at distance. Due to the shaking in his thin voice it actually worked.  
>"Please- don't. Just go."<br>Of course the older man didn't follow his request. Instead his father heaved a sigh and opened his mouth to reply, as the phone in the living room rang again. "We are talking about this Mitch. This can't go on any longer. Wait here." The words of his father were final and his stomach turned, as he thought about the upcoming conversation. A conversation that wouldn't come any time soon.

"Mitch? It's for you."  
>Absolutely surprised Mitch lifted his head up and blinked against the sun. Who would call him on his parents' phone? Everyone he could think of had the number of his mobile phone. Slowly he walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. His father was standing near the sofa and he had a hand over the lower half of the phone. He had put on a frown and asked in a hushed voice, "Do you know a person called Tom Murphy?"<p>

While shaking his head, Mitch got closer and reached for the phone. "Never heard of him before, as far as I know. What does he want?" Before his father gave him the phone, he shrugged his shoulders. "He didn't say anything else."  
>With a mixed feeling in his stomach Mitch cleared his throat and tried to forget, that his father saw him falling apart just a few seconds ago. As he turned away, he felt the lingering glance on his back and saw his own, pale reflection in the window. Fast he turned around again.<p>

"Mitch Hughes?"

"_Oh, Mr. Hughes. What a pleasure to finally talk to you. Tom Murphy my name, I'm working for Microsoft. You've probably already heard of the pleasant news."_

To be honest Mitch should have noticed it already with those clear words, but in his current state of mind, he paid no attention to it. Instead he frowned and walked back to the suite of furniture, where his father was watching him closely. "I'm afraid that I've no idea what you're talking about. Care to enlighten me?"  
>The threatening tone in his voice was unintentional. Maybe it came automatically because of the feeling Mitch got, when the older man was talking. There was something eerie about him that felt like a warning to him.<p>

"_I'm surprised. Well, Mr. Hughes, I'm pleased to be able to tell you, that just this morning Microsoft bought the very famous game Minecraft."_

As his legs gave out Mitch was glad, that he was standing in front of the sofa.  
>Absolutely shocked he stared at the wall and didn't dare to breathe. That was it. He was doomed, his career gone. No job, no qualification… He was ruined. They would stop his account immediately. Maybe they already did.<p>

Still being in a state of shock, he heard his own quiet voice. He didn't even notice the strong hand of his father on his shoulder, who was worried and without any idea, what exactly just happened.

"How long?"  
><em>How long until I have to say goodbye to my fans-<br>and my beloved memories?_

* * *

><p>Well... you see, he's going to suffer a lot here. (And his family will be involved.) But Adam as well. And my dear readers, what are two suffering and frightened people doing? Right, they'll lash out. *sigh* Those feels and ideas...<p>

Please leave a **review** and check out my **twitter**. That way you'll know when I'm about to upload a new chapter!  
><strong> Milumaus**

Also check out my other _Team Crafted / Skyenja_ fanfiction called **FOR YOU!** It's about the break-up of TC, a possible what-could-have-happened-back-then and a solution through all of this. It's worth a try, believe me!


	4. Chapter 3: No Time

**AN:**  
>Before the chapter starts I wanna thank <strong>BlazetheDragonite<strong> for the nice review!  
>So, as you'll see in a moment, I've chosen a german song for the actual chapter. It's like a test - I wanna see if you guys like it or think it's absolute crap. xD I really like the beat and the background music, the singing is nice as well. What do you think? Should I better look up English songs only or do you think it's quite nice? LET ME KNOW!<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Music tip:<br>House Rockerz ft. ****Tiemo Hauer – Schläfst du schon  
>youtube: <strong>watch?v=8OH1lv6n5HU

* * *

><p><span>Lovers of Freedom<span>

**Chapter 3:  
><strong>_No Time_

* * *

><p>"How long?"<p>

His voice broke, as his free hand clenched his jeans. It just took Mr. Murphy a few seconds to reply, but to Mitch it was a whole lifetime. This was his life – everything. Since Jerome and he had begun to record videos for a living, Mitch always tried to do everything he could, to keep the channel up and running. He earned money with it, money that he actually needed for his flat and food. While others went to college or started their career in another business, Mitch had continued to do videos. Up until now it had always worked out – but now the only thing that he had absolutely no control over seemed to ruin everything.

The hand of his father on his shoulder spent him comfort and in a desperate moment he grabbed it with his free hand. If he was really going down, he could use every helping hand. As Mr. Murphy finally raised his voice again he expected the worst and didn't anticipate the following words.

"That actually depends on you, Mr. Hughes."

The unforeseen revelation hit Mitch absolutely unprepared and confused he replied, "What?"  
>"You see," the smug voice began and Mitch could hear the armchair squeak in the background, as Murphy leaned back. "My bosses don't like to see gameplay videos on platforms as YouTube, and now that Microsoft actually bought Minecraft, you are sadly a thorn in their sides."<p>

Up until now it sounded really bad.  
>As his father motioned Mitch to finally tell him what the call was about, he picked his mobile phone out of his pocket and opened up the first thing he could think of. Twitter. As expected, the side was overflowing with information. He gave the mobile phone to his father and listened, as Murphy continued, "But you are very famous nonetheless, as well as some other youtubers. So they decided to make a deal with you."<p>

A deal.  
>It was not enough to give Mitch what he needed to know, but there was one thing he was certain of.<br>"Now let me guess what this deal is about: I have to upload what _you_ want, I have to comment the way _you_ prefer it and I have _no_ right to have a say in it!" The anger was getting the better of him and to get rid of it, he got up from his position of the sofa. As he paced through the room he noticed his mother coming in, but before she could voice a question, his father waved her over and showed her the phone. Great.

"Exactly."  
>The answer made him laugh out loud, but his tone was filled with sarcasm as he replied, "Wonderful. And what in the world makes you think, that I want to be your bitch?"<br>His aggressive reply wasn't taken as lightly as Mitch had thought and the superior and intimidating voice made him freeze on the spot.

"Because, Mr. Hughes, it's the only way for you to get your precious _Team Crafted_ back together."

The minutes before had been nothing.  
>The shock hit him so hard, that Mitch wasn't even able to say a single word. <em>What?<em> The man had to be lying. No one could achieve something as impossible as a reunion of the team. Never. No one. The silent seconds passed by without a sound and for a moment Mitch forgot his parents in the room. His voice was barely audible, as he put his free hand over his eyes and answered, "You can't. Trust me."

Mr. Murphy's determination didn't waver for a second, as he continued, "Believe me, Mr. Hughes, they will come. They have no other choice – it's either that or nothing at all in an hour. And without the whole team – without you – every single one of them is ruined."  
>The threat was real – but what did he expect? This was about a whole company that was so much more powerful than the team could ever be. They could do nothing against them. For a moment Mitch saw it all as absolutely hopeless, until a certain thought stuck in his mind:<p>

"…_to get your precious __**Team Crafted**__ back."  
><em>Murphy was so much better than Mitch had anticipated.  
>His only weak spot… the team. The guys. Their wonderful times together. Adam.<br>It wasn't the right way – not at all -; he should fight back and resist him to set an example for everyone else out there. Still he couldn't bring himself to do the right thing and for a moment he felt as bad as back then, when he did such a huge mistake as well. A mistake that resulted in the end of Team Crafted.  
>But Murphy was his only chance to get a piece of his soul back that he was missing ever since.<p>

Big raindrops began to fall and beat against the window to his right. His only chance. He had to take it.  
>Slowly he took his hand from his eyes. He glared at the floor and put his hand on his neck, before he replied with an indescribable tone in his voice,<br>"What do I have to do?"

The answer of Mr. Murphy was clear. A short glance at his watch told him, that he had to leave now to make it on time.  
>Without ending the call properly, Mitch threw the phone onto the couch, picked his own mobile phone up and ran out of the room. Again he reckoned without his parents, who were at his heels immediately. "What the hell is going on? Mitch?" He reached his room a second later and opened the suitcase that was still lying on the ground beside his bed. "Don't you have guests right now?" he tried to get rid of his parents, but they were as persistent as Mitch.<p>

"Your sisters can take care of them for a few minutes."  
>"What about the rain?"<br>"They'll manage tha- Why are you packing your things?!"

His mother stepped forward, as Mitch threw a pair of shoes back into his suitcase, but before she could unpack his stuff again, he closed the lid. "Can't talk about it," Mitch finally replied cryptically and avoided their gazes. "You actually know what it's about. Just let me go. I have to take care of that!"

His mother stayed silent and crossed her arms with a frown on her face. Mitch tried to escape the guilt and to flee through the door, but his father already stood in the doorway. "Dad, please-," he began with a pleading tone and a sigh. His father didn't even blink. "You're not going anywhere. Explain everything. Now."

"I really can't."  
>"What did he say to change your mind so abruptly?"<br>"Dad, please, just leave it alone."  
>"Had it something to do with you being so different this morning? Or all the other days I'm not going to talk about?"<p>

"Oh my fucking god, yes! Yes, exactly that's the reason, okay?! You're satisfied now?"  
>All the questions finally made him explode and with a raised voice he screamed back at his father. His hands were shaking and he clenched his fists – the pent-in anger, built up in the last weeks and months, was released, even though it hit the wrong persons. He couldn't stop, not now.<br>"They're going to ruin us all, if I'm not partaking in this and I'm not doing that to the guys! Not since I already-" Mitch stopped himself at the right time, but the damage was already done. The sympathetic look in his father's eyes made the guilty feeling deep inside of him even worse and without looking back up, he pressed himself past his father and out of the room. "Mitch, please wait-," his mother started and they began to follow him again.

"You'll soon find out what's going on, trust me."  
>His voice sounded cold, but it didn't hide the fact that it was shaking horribly.<br>While he tried to collect his thoughts, he rushed down the stairs and to the front door.

"God, Mitch, we are your family, not your fans! Just talk to us, please!"  
>His father was desperate and it became harder for Mitch to continue his way. But he had to. Murphy had said so himself. <em>"Oh, one last thing Mr. Hughes. No one is going to hear something about this, not even your family. Otherwise there'll be consequences for you and for them."<em>

"I'm sorry. In this case it makes no difference."  
>The words reached its target and they stopped for a short second.<br>It was enough time for Mitch to throw his luggage in the back of his car, get onto the driver's seat and speed off.

Mitch would do everything to have just one happy day with the team again.  
>Even if he had to give himself up to the lions called Microsoft.<p>

* * *

><p>Check out my <em>twitter<em> account, I'll always post stuff about my stories and when the new chapters are coming! =)  
>Name is <strong> Milumaus<strong>.

Also leave me a comment, please! I'd like to know what you think of the story so far.  
>Remember: <em>The more reviews, the sooner the chapters will be uploaded. ;)<em>


	5. Chapter 4: No Idea

Thanks to my lovely reviewers** TheAmazingQwerty, BlazetheDragonite &** **Chocolatepie277!**  
><span>Keep in mind: The more reviews, the sooner I'll update.<span>

* * *

><p><strong>Music tip:<br>Imagine Dragons - Warriors  
>youtube: <strong>watch?v=VP9I8ZUwKpc

* * *

><p><span>Lovers of Freedom<span>

**Chapter 4:  
><strong>_No Idea_

* * *

><p>The sun had set a few hours ago and the later it became, the fewer cars were on the highway. Some time ago Mitch was fed up of the silence and had put in a random CD. The beat was pulsing through his body, from the fingertips on the steering wheel to his feet on the accelerator pedal. His muscles were completely stiff, because he had not a single moment to relax – not that he wanted to anyway.<p>

Mitch feared that the second he began to think about everything he would end up breaking down.

Of course he had made a mistake.

He was doomed already. No one would forgive him ever, because he kept on doing the same mistakes over and over again.

Abruptly he turned the music a bit louder.

_Don't think about it_, he told himself for the hundredth time and tried to ignore the fact that his mobile phone on the passenger seat rang again. A short glance on the display showed him the name of his mother. She was probably worried sick because of Mitch's abrupt departure and his cruel words, but he had no choice. Mr. Murphy had made himself very clear on this point.

The ringing stopped and Mitch tried to concentrate on the music and the road again. _A sudden accident will help no one_, he told himself and believed it for a short second. Then the doubts came back and hit him with full strength.

Before Mitch could get any stupid ideas, the phone rang again. In that moment he was so thankful that he actually grabbed it and answered the call. "What?"

His voice cracked and with his other free hand he turned the volume down to understand the other person. Maybe it was Mr. Murphy again. Mitch had no intentions to annoy him more than he already did. "Hello?"

"Mitch?!"

It was neither Mr. Murphy, nor his mother. Actually he was quite surprised, as he forced out a low "Jerome?"

"God, finally! We were starting to get worried. Why haven't you replied to _anything_? The world's going down, man!"

He sounded pretty upset. Mitch didn't need to ask what he was talking about. There was nothing else going on at the moment that was as important as the Microsoft affair. Instead he focused on something else. "I know. Who is _we_?" Jerome remained silent for a moment. Then he replied, but this time he sounded more excited than anything else.

"You won't believe it, Mitch. Right now I'm in a Skype call with Ian, Ryan, Ty and the guys. I mean nearly all of them. Crazy, right? At the beginning it was just Ty, Adam and me, but-"

Mitch's heart stopped.

Immediately he hit the brake.

The tires were screaming, the car nearly careered out of control and Mitch already saw the earlier thought become reality. Thankfully he was all alone on the road due to the time and the road was dry. Jerome had interrupted himself as soon as Mitch had begun to stop the car. Now, after all the noise had disappeared again, he cried out with pure worry, "Oh my- Shit, are you alright, Mitch?! Are you in your car? Did you have an accident? Mitch?!"

Before he could alert the National Guard, Mitch quickly interrupted him.

"I'm alright, sorry, everything's fine. Yes, I'm in my car. No, I didn't have an accident. Now what was that about A-"

Jerome didn't even listen anymore. As soon as he'd heard that Mitch was alright, he repeated Mitch's words. His voice sounded a bit further away; probably he was talking to the guys right now. Had Jerome put him on the speaker? Probably. A bit later his voice was louder again.

"Don't you dare doing this again, you nearly gave us a heart attack! Now where are you driving to at this time? And what are you saying to the news?"

In Mitch's rear view mirror the headlights of another car became visible and slowly Mitch drove off again. Jerome was asking the critical questions. Mr. Murphy had explicitly forbid him to talk to anyone about it, especially his family. But he didn't mention the other guys of the team. Instead of giving them a clear answer, he asked instead, "When have you guys been called?"

One tiny little mistake.

Mitch had assumed that Murphy had already called the rest of the team by now.

Sadly that was not the case.

"How do you- wait, this guy called you as well?!"

Mitch couldn't deny it any longer, so he replied with a sigh, "Well, yeah. Who else did he talk to?"

"Only Adam and you so far. He made you an offer, too?"

Mitch became more confused the longer he talked to Jerome. He'd anticipated that Murphy had already called the guys to inform them of their forced luck. It was easy to get the whole team together, if he used the same strategy on them that he used on Mitch. He knew their weaknesses and how to get them- Wait. No. He knew _Mitch's_ weakness, his wish to have a reunion of Team Crafted. No one had ever said that the rest of them thought the same.

Mitch's hands began to shake again, as it became harder and harder to hold himself back. "You could say that," he finally replied with a strained voice, but he didn't notice. His thoughts were spinning, as he tried to see the plan behind all the madness. What was Murphy scheming? And why did he only call Adam and Mitch? Should they convince the others to join Team Crafted again? No, that wouldn't make any sense. Half of them would probably agree to the deal on their own and the rest would be influenced by the others agreeing.

But what could be the real reason behind it?

Why just Adam and him?

It didn't make any sense at the moment.

"Mitch? Are you still there?"

As soon as he heard the voice of his best friend again, he returned back to reality and blinked irritated. He had to stop it, or else the journey would indeed turn out bad for him. "Yeah, sorry, I was thinking 'bout something."

"Okay, what is it? And where the heck are you driving to?"

He could fool Jerome not in a million years. Of course he knew exactly, when there was a problem bothering Mitch. But he couldn't tell him the truth, could he? Murphy would flip out for sure and Mitch was scared of what the man was really able to do after his explicit threat. "I don't think I can tell you, I'm sorry," he sighed and forgot for a moment, that the others were still hearing him through the speaker and the Skype call. "That's sounds odd. Is this guy responsible for it?"

Jerome was so close to the truth.

Too close, as far as Murphy was concerned.

But damn it, Mitch wanted him to find out so badly!

He wanted his best friend to encourage him, to promise him that he would stay by his side, no matter how ugly it got. He wanted his decision to be the right one, but the longer Mitch thought about it, the more he doubted it.

His stomach turned and he was just about to get sick, as he drove into the town marking his destination. As soon as the blinding lights of the buildings punched down on him, his heartbeat increased a thousand times and the panic rose again. Jerome was quiet and waited for an answer. He knew that Mitch was close to telling him the truth, he could feel and hear it in the tone of his voice. Mitch was certain of it.

"What is bothering you, buddy?"

And then the walls in his mind broke down and he was rattling off in a frightened and agitated voice, "I'm done, Jerome! This asshole knows everything. When I said that I wouldn't agree to his deal, he blackmailed and threatened me. He is craz-"

Mitch couldn't even finish his sentence, as his best friend on the phone exploded, "He did _what?!_ Don't tell me you're serious!"

"I am. He forbade me to speak about it, not even to my family, or there would be consequences for me and for them!"

At the moment he was doing exactly what Murphy didn't want him to do, but Mitch had no other choice. He had to open up to _somebody_, or else he would not even be able to stand in front of the man personally in a few minutes. Mitch needed some urgent back up and right now it was in the form of Jerome. And the guys he had forgotten over the past minute.

"This little cu- He is so going down, I promise you! Wait a moment- …yeah, we're doing that!"

Mitch was confused and frowned, as he turned off the road onto a big parking lot of an impressive office building. "What are you talking about?"

"Ian just said that we should go public with this. You know, him threatening you and stuff. I A lot of people will hate them and their image might go down!"

And there was the problem.

They could do it, maybe it could even work, but then everything would go back to normal.

No Team Crafted.

No option.

"I can't do that," he murmured half ashamed, half desperate and got out of the car. Before they could ask further questions, he admitted, "Look, I have no other choice, guys, seriously. And I have to end the call now, I'm meeting him in a few minutes."

The whole parking lot was nearly abandoned – there were just two other cars. With slow and nervous steps he climbed up the stairs. Not a single person was visible, as he listened to Jerome once again.

"You've got to be kidding me! You are meeting this guy? Why the fuck are you doing this?"

For the first time Mitch could hear the voices of the other guys in the background – Jerome probably turned up the volume – and neither of them sounded very happy about it. For a short second Mitch allowed himself a little smile. They were caring.

Then the smile disappeared and he raised his shoulders.

"Because his threat is very convincing."

"Wait, Mitch, there is something important that you have to kn-"

He ended the call and put his mobile phone in his pocket. He was still wearing his light jeans and the dark hoodie instead of a proper suit. Nonetheless Mitch couldn't care less about it at the moment, because a secretive meeting in the middle of the night didn't really require formal clothes.

As he stood in the elevator, Mitch thought about the possible outcomes of the meeting. There were too many to consider them all, but he tried to think about them anyway. Of course he never expected to see the familiar shape of a long lost friend, as the elevator doors opened.

A young man stood in front of an office door and he seemed to be quite nervous. He wore a dark suit, as he tried to fix his hair in a window that showed the city at night. Mitch stepped out of the elevator, quite surprised about another person being here, but as the man finally turned around, he froze on the spot immediately.

"Adam?!"


	6. Chapter 5: Hate

****AN:  
><strong>**Before the chapter starts I'd like to thank my wonderful reviewers: **TheSmashingBall, Chocolatepie277, CadentClock39, BlazetheDragonite & TheAmazingQwerty.** You guys are awesome, please keep up the support! =)  
>The last chapters were from Mitch's POV, this one is from Adam's again. It was so hard to write, you'll see the reason in the chapter. But I really like it. So much potential for the future, yay! xD<strong><strong><br>****

* * *

><p><strong>Music tip:<br>Sam Smith - Nirvana  
>youtube: <strong>watch?v=Lv679SxziHQ

* * *

><p><span>Lovers of Freedom<span>

**Chapter 5:  
><strong>_Hate_

* * *

><p>"Adam?!"<p>

After Adam had ended the call with Jerome and Ty a few hours earlier, he had dressed in his best suit to look presentable. Sure, he didn't know what this deal would be about and there sure as hell were some negative sides too, but at the moment everything was a blessing. Everything that was keeping him distracted from Alesa was.

Sure, a sudden meeting and at this time was very unusual, but Mr. Murphy had made himself clear that it was very urgent. Also, the building complex wasn't very far from his home, so Adam actually agreed. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as he had assumed first.

But then _he_ had to turn up behind him.  
>Dressed in a light jeans and a dark hoodie, Mitch stepped out of the elevator and froze on the spot, as he recognized Adam. His voice was barely audible, as he whispered his name and his whole body tensed up.<p>

For a short moment Adam was quite surprised.  
>It turned into a warm feeling inside of his chest.<br>Then there was only one emotion left. Anger.

"What the fuck are _you_ doing here? This is a joke, right?"

In his vivid memories, Mitch was a coldhearted money-whore, who didn't care about friendships. In Adam's mind every single one of his moves was planned, no matter what happened to others. His eyes – cold. His grin – malicious.  
>His mental image didn't fit at all to the person standing in front of him now. Mitch flinched and even took a step back. It was all an act, Adam told himself. Nothing was real. The pale skin, the dark rings under his eyes, the shaking hands. He wouldn't fall a second for his act.<p>

It felt like a lifetime had passed, as Mitch finally found his voice to reply.  
>"I- I guess I'm here for the same reason as you are."<p>

Adam would deny it later on, but as he heard the small voice, unsure and completely broken, a part of him was worried. A short second he wanted to rush forward, forget the past and make sure to hear his laugh again. Then he had collected his thoughts again and nothing was left except for anger, hate and disappointment. All the emotions Mitch deserved.  
>Nonetheless his answer made Adam furrow his brows and forget them for a second.<p>

"Wait, they called you as well?!"  
>Mitch didn't dare to reply and simply nodded. Adam took it the wrong way, unable to see it from his point of view.<p>

"Great, that's just wonderful. I can't believe it. Now I'm stuck here with a person who's even above replying. Don't you dare get in my way, _Hughes_, I can't stand seeing your face."  
>His words were too much. Even Adam himself knew.<p>

Still he ignored Mitch's silent reaction.  
>The gleam fading from his eyes.<br>His crumbling stance.  
>A single sigh, barely audible.<p>

If Mr. Murphy hadn't appeared in the exact same moment, Adam would have eventually given up his hard attitude toward Mitch.  
>"Oh, I'm glad you're both here already! Please come into my office."<p>

With a hateful look to Mitch, Adam sat down in one of the two chairs in front of the desk. As his unwanted companion sat down as well, he moved to the left with his chair. Deep inside he knew that the other boy was hurting with every move Adam made, but he couldn't bring himself to care about it. Every time he tried, the memories hit him at full strength and he remembered every single word.  
>Their fight had been horrible. Never before in his life had Adam felt so much resentment and bitterness towards a person than after that fateful day. His reaction now was logical, wasn't it? However, he still felt guilty for every word he was saying right now. Why wasn't Mitch as angry as Adam?! He should be – he had every right to do so. Adam hadn't been much better back then. And still Mitch behaved completely… unexpected.<p>

It made him furious.

"Please excuse this unusual hour of our meeting. It was necessary due to a set time limit."  
>Mr. Murphy sat down as well behind his desk and as he looked up at the two boys, his face had lost all the kindness. Right now he seemed to be dead serious. Before one of them could ask, what exactly he'd meant with his words, he explained.<br>"As I've already told you, my bosses aren't happy about people like you making videos. Quite the contrary. But I know the potential you guys have and I managed to convince them to make a deal. No more videos of Youtubers about the game, except for a certain group of famous and popular people. People like you."

Adam was glad that he was already sitting, otherwise he would've collapsed for sure. "Wait, you definitely let out that part during our call!" Adam leaned forward and grabbed the armrests of his comforting chair. Shortly he glanced to his right – Mitch was sitting deep in his chair, arms crossed protectively in front of his chest and his eyes were firmly set on Mr. Murphy. Something was going on here for sure. Was he already involved?

"We, you and I, have no other chance. It's either this group or no one at all."  
>Murphy's eyes were serious, his voice even more. Discussing this point was out of question. Still Adam tried.<br>"Are you out of your mind?! Have you any idea how many people are making Minecraft-videos for a living? You can't just kick them out! The fans won't accept that, they'll go on the warpath for that!"

"That's the reason why we give them something that's even more worthy to them."  
>Murphy sounded way too sure and Adam got a bad feeling. He risked a short glance to his right again. Mitch was even paler than before. He knew for sure what was going on and by the look of it, it was bad.<br>For the first time this evening, the anger towards Mitch was replaced by worry.

"We will reunite _Team Crafted_."

Everything stopped.  
>Time slowed down.<br>The sound of the cars on the streets disappeared.

Adam couldn't think.  
>Team Crafted, the group of people, who had left their indelible mark on him.<br>People, who have been incredibly important to him.  
>Adam tried vehemently to keep the emotions down, but his resentment was washed away by the happy memories the group shared. And here he was, with a chance to get it all back and with a formerly close member, whom he still detested.<p>

"You did it quite well back then, with the different events and the things you did for the fans, but we can do it better. We have to, according to the bosses."

It was literally all or nothing.  
>Adam could keep on doing his videos, unfortunately with Mitch.<br>Or he could look for a new job with losing everything that had become so important to him over the years.

He had no other choice.  
>The decision was made.<p>

"What are the conditions?"  
>Mitch's head spun around quickly. He obviously didn't expect Adam to give in. Out of spite he threw Mitch a challenging and cold look, before he gave his full attention to Murphy again. He wasn't surprised at all about his decision.<br>"You and the other members will live and record together again. No fights via twitter, especially no words to the fans about something like that. It's no good publicity, you surely understand. Daily videos, but we can decide which modifications you are going to show. Of course we'll decide with the number of views, as you did."  
>The more Murphy talked, the less motivated Adam became, but he had no other choice. And it didn't sound so bad, did it? Murphy seemed to be quite enthusiastic about his little project and if he was being honest, then they should be thankful to have a job at all.<p>

It couldn't turn out all too bad.

"Of course you and Mr. Hughes have to stop fighting, we can't afford keeping it up. Why don't you guys start with making up right now? It's hard to find a hotel at this time, and you don't live too far away. I'm sure Mr. Hughes can stay with you for the night."

Could it?

* * *

><p>So hard to write, but I'm quite satisfied with the chapter. =)<br>What do you guys think about it?  
>Please let me know in the <strong>comments<strong> and don't forget to follow me on **Twitter** to get news about the chapters and stuff! -at- ** Milumaus**


	7. Chapter 6: No Blame

****AN:  
><strong>**Before the chapter starts I want to thank my lovely reviewers **TheAmazingQwerty, BlazetheDragonite, Stars Above The Moon & Chocolatepie277!**  
><em>Please keep in mind:<em>The more reviews, the sooner I'll try to upload the next chapter. ;)****  
><strong>**

* * *

><p><strong>Music tip:<br>Jaymes Young - Parachute  
>youtube: <strong>watch?v=Rfut_-POtGM

* * *

><p><span>Lovers of Freedom<span>

**Chapter 6:  
><strong>_No Blame_

* * *

><p>Mitch was glad that he could drive in his own car.<br>The silence on the way to the parking lot had been unnerving, but obviously Adam was keen on giving Mitch the cold shoulder. Sadly he couldn't even blame him for it. Mitch deserved it. Every hateful glance, every horrible remark.  
>Why should Adam forgive him for his actions, when Mitch himself couldn't do so?<br>No, Adam was right.

But it hurt nonetheless.

It took them about half an hour to reach Adam's house. Mitch had not been here before and just knew the place from various photos and videos. It was around 2am, as he got out of his car and looked around curiously. Adam was already on his way to the front door, so Mitch hurriedly took his luggage out of the trunk and followed him. During the day the temperatures had been pleasant because of the sun, but now during the night it got really cold.  
>Mitch had left his jacket in the car and was shivering now. Adam took his time to open the door, but as he finally stepped aside to let Mitch in, the heat was a wonderful change. He couldn't hold back a relaxed sigh and glanced around happily.<p>

"It's wonderful here, I really like it", he tried his luck and looked back to Adam, who just closed the door. His reply was not the one Mitch was hoping for, but at least the other one was talking to him at all. "You can sleep on the couch. I'll bring you a blanket."  
>Before Mitch could answer, Adam had disappeared in one of the rooms down the hall. He tried to ignore his nervousness and began to wander around the hall that led to the living room. It was admirable.<p>

Opposite of Mitch was a whole wall made out of glass, so he was able to see the water. The moon was reflected on the surface and spent some light. Between the glass wall and the pathway from the hall was a large dark couch, standing in front of a furnace. The wall surrounding it was made out of stone and beside it hung the TV.  
>"Here you go."<p>

Mitch flinched and turned around quickly – just to see Adam standing behind him with a large blanket in his hands. The offensive tone was gone and what surprised Mitch the most was the friendly expression on his face. There was no smile, but the hate had disappeared. He didn't know if it was just temporarily and what had caused this change, but Mitch wouldn't say no to it.  
>"Thank you!" With a smile he took the soft fabric and glanced at the furnace. "I don't want to be rude, but can I maybe-"<p>

"Sure, use it. You'll find the wood outside."

Slowly Mitch turned around again to look at Adam. Before it had not been as obvious, but the tone of his voice gave it away. The reason for the sudden change in his behavior was sadness.  
>"Are you okay?" he carefully asked and frowned, without moving an inch. Adam silently regarded him for a moment, before he shook his head and turned around again.<br>"See you later I guess."

"…Good night."

It was hard to fall asleep. Mitch turned around a thousand times, but no matter what he did, he couldn't relax at all. It wasn't due to the couch - more likely the restless thoughts roaming around in his head were responsible for it.

The day had been unimaginable so far.  
>At first there had been his little moment of self-hatred and remorse. His dad had caught him and he wouldn't have let it go this time, had there not been the phone call of Mr. Murphy interrupting him. The conversation itself had been a disaster. Mr. Murphy's threat and he blackmailing Mitch… Of course meeting Adam had been the highlight of the day.<p>

And so it surprised Mitch even more, that a very small part of him was glad.  
>He'd met Adam again, no matter how angry and disappointed he was.<br>Maybe things could turn out good, maybe there was still hope for them.

Maybe he could be forgiven one day.  
>Closing his eyes, Mitch snuggled under the covers and dreamt of a bright future with Team Crafted.<p>

* * *

><p>Even though he'd gone to sleep very late, Mitch was up at an early hour as usual. The sun was blocked by some thick clouds, but the colorful leaves on the road and the lawn made Mitch feel comfortable about this autumn day. He felt the strong urge to run again and ten minutes later he began his morning routine. The cold air felt good on his heated up skin and his lungs were grateful for some fresh breaths. He barely met anyone, just some people driving off to work.<p>

The neighborhood Adam was living in was quiet and peaceful, something the famous youtuber needed as a welcome change to the usually stressful life. Roads meandered through the little suburban area, while the hills to the right of Mitch rose. On his left side was the water, a steady companion to his workout. The large trees on the hills and between the houses made it hard to see the sky and gave Mitch a cozy feeling. It reminded him of his parents' house in Pennsylvania. Home. So Adam was home?

Mitch smiled due to his random thoughts and enjoyed the music he was running to. His dark thoughts from the day before disappeared slowly and made room for some helpful ideas. First of all he needed breakfast. Adam probably had some stuff at home, but on their way to his home last night Mitch had seen a bakery shop. Back then, when Team Crafted had still been a thing, Adam often got himself something to eat from a bakery in the morning. With a little bit of luck it would make the coming hours more bearable. Then he had to leave.

Next step: Finding a hotel. Or should he drive back to his parents? It just took him a second to dispel the idea. He definitely would have to explain himself and right now he wasn't ready for it. And of course there still was the threat of Murphy.  
>How long would it take him to convince the rest? How long to get a house for everyone? There still was the possibility to go to LA again – the mansion still belonged to them, even though they had planned to sell it some time ago…<p>

Even if Mitch still had his house up in Montreal, which he already sold, it would be too far away. Murphy told them to stay nearby, so for now it would be a hotel. All in all the next days would be really stressful for him. Hopefully he could record a video on his laptop, before Adam would kick him out.

Fifteen minutes later Mitch returned and opened the door with one of Adam's keys. Thankfully he wasn't up yet and didn't notice his little robbery. Before Mitch went to take a quick shower, he began to brew coffee. Adam hated him and Mitch wasn't blaming him for it at all, but he would make it as difficult as possible for Adam to kick him out.

It was already past 10am, as he finished preparing a nice breakfast. He didn't pretend to think Adam would eat together with him, so he took a cup of coffee and a plate of bread to go outside to the terrace.  
>Finally the sun was visible. The clouds parted a little bit to let the now rare rays of sunshine warm him up a bit, as the picked out his phone. Carefully he took a sip of the still hot coffee, while he opened Twitter. Jerome had sent him some messages since their phone call, so he had to give him a ring sooner or later for sure-<p>

Mitch chocked on his coffee, put the cup aside and leaned forward.  
>Adam and Alesa had broken up.<p>

The tweets were not even a day old – no wonder the other guy seemed so sad yesterday. He probably wanted to be all angry at him, but the feelings from the break-up must have been too strong.  
>To say Mitch was shocked was an understatement. During the holidays, as Team Crafted had still been together, he'd met her. At first she seemed to be a nice girl, humorous and as crazy as Adam himself. Later on, shortly before Adam and Mitch's big fight, things had begun to go down. Break-ups, getting together again, broken hearts… She meant the world to Adam obviously, but Mitch couldn't get rid of the feeling that she did more harm than good.<p>

He'd been hurt too much already during his life.  
>The last he needed was a girlfriend that slowly but surely destroyed him.<br>Mitch wouldn't say it out loud in front of Adam, but he was glad they broke up.

Half an hour later Mitch was still sitting on the porch of Adam's house, arms crossed in front of his chest and staring at the lake. His eyes were blank, his thoughts at rest. Absentmindedly he took a moment to finally relax and get some rest. This place was heaven. He would never move back to LA, no matter what Murphy said. The stress of the city was too much. He needed exactly this, a peaceful place to find himself and to just take a timeout to breathe.

The restless sleep of the last night finally got to him and his eyes closed, as he slowly fell asleep.  
>He woke up some time later, blinked and yawned. Then he noticed, that the cold wasn't getting to him anymore, but not because he got used to it. As Mitch glanced down, he noticed the thick woolen blanket around his shoulders. It was so long that it covered his knees as well. The sun was hidden behind the clouds again, but as Mitch glanced up into the sky, he noticed something else from the corner of his eyes.<p>

"Morning."  
>Adam was sitting in the chair beside him with his feet propped up on an empty chair.<p>

His stare was hard, even though his posture was lazy. The sadness was gone and replaced by the same look Adam had given him the night before. It was so controversial to his nice gesture with the blanket, that Mitch couldn't hold back the shiver. He knew he deserved every single second of it, but with the help on his early workout he'd tried to get a more positive view of things… Obviously he was heading in the wrong direction.

As Adam looked away to the water, Mitch released a breath he didn't know he was holding. It hurt. He didn't want to admit it, but every glance and every hateful word by the person he admired the most was pushing him further and further into the self-dug pit. For a moment he tried to be selfish – wasn't he punished enough already by all the self-hatred?  
>His mood was down most of the time and with every single video it got harder and harder to put up a smile and a convincing laugh for the viewers. Everything in his life seemed to be influenced by it and now he had to expose himself to the critique and the hate of his former friends?<p>

He started to get out of the chair to have his mental breakdown elsewhere, as Adam picked up the word again.  
>"We are not going to be friends anytime soon. You know that, don't you?"<p>

Cold. Hateful. Mitch tried to hold back a whimper and replied with a quiet voice,  
>"Of course I do."<p>

And then Adam changed again and suddenly the anger was replaced by a soft tone Mitch wasn't used to at all.  
>"Still, you don't have to stay in a hotel, it is way too expensive. And… thanks for the breakfast, I really appreciate it."<p>

There he was, facing the doorway but being unable to move at all.  
>He bit down forcefully on his lip, tried to steady his breath and closed his eyes tightly.<br>His hands were balled into fists, his breath quickened.

"Mitch?"  
>Adam's voice was suspicious.<br>He could only see his backside, the fists and his trembling shoulders.

There he was.  
>Caught between the desire to run from Adam's taunting words and the longing for a formerly friend, who reached the surface every so often.<br>He wanted to scream at him, punch him out of the chair and force him to decide for one side.  
>Hate or friendship.<p>

But all he could do was force out the usual sentence that he got so sick of during the past weeks and months.  
>His shacking voice betrayed him, nonetheless he tried to keep the act up.<br>Keep it up until he was falling down his pit with no way of getting out of it ever again.

"I'm alright," he tried to convince Adam and himself at the same time, "Everything's fine."  
>He failed with both of them.<p>

* * *

><p>I've uploaded two one-shots, if you're interested check them out:<p>

- **Muderous Night:** About Halloween and Mitch, who's alone at home and is being watched by something...  
><em>"<em>_Never before in his life had he been so scared. His hands were trembling, his heart was pounding painfully in his chest and he held his breath, despite his burning lungs. The fear was dominating him and flowed through his veins, but there was something so much stronger than his dread could ever be. Curiosity. An emotion as deadly as love itself."_

- **Bury My Love:** About the last Merome stream and all these little moments. What could have been.  
><em>"<em>_Love. In another world they would've embraced it. In this one it was unreachable." _

Don't forget to check out my **Twitter** for further infos about my stories and stuff =)  
><strong>- at - Milumaus<strong>


	8. Chapter 7: Steps

****AN:  
><strong>**Before the chapter starts I want to thank my dear reviewers** Chocolatepie277, CreeperCraft197, Stars Above The Moon & TheAmazingQwerty**!****

* * *

><p><strong>Music tip:<br>Lana del Rey – Dark Paradise  
>youtube: <strong>watch?v=0SnSUbnx5Ys

* * *

><p><span>Lovers of Freedom<span>

**Chapter 7:  
><strong>_Steps_

* * *

><p>Adam wanted to be angry at Mitch.<br>During their way to the parking lot and the first minutes back at his house he had succeeded, but as he went to his room to get another blanket for Mitch, everything he had left behind hit him at full strength.

Alesa.  
>Their break-up.<br>The betrayal.

The emotions he had carefully buried deep inside of himself came back to the surface, as he threw a glance at one of their pictures still occupying the nightstand. For a moment he forgot Mitch in the other room and sat down on the edge of the large bed he had once shared with her. Deep inside he knew that it had been the right decision, but above this knowledge was a thick layer of love, that just didn't want to disappear. Of course he could forget neither their feelings for each other, nor their wonderful memories.

But her betrayal had hurt too much.  
>It was like Dawn all over again.<p>

Over time he would heal for sure. He needed some distance, a few days to collect his thoughts and to calm down. But now Mitch of all people had to stay with him. Not only that – his only chance to keep his current job and to continue his passion was a reunion of Team Crafted. It was his only chance. He had to pull through, even though the topic about Mitch…

The blanket. Right.  
>He almost forgot.<p>

With a sigh he stood up again, grabbed the photo of Alesa and him, picked up a large blanket and went back. On the way to the living room he threw the picture in the bin without looking back once. She wasn't worth it, he tried to tell himself. But where to go with all the sadness? How could he get his usually cheerful behavior back again? Every single time it became harder and harder.

Mitch stood in the living room and was admiring the furnishing.  
>"Here you go," he said with a neutral tone in his voice and Adam was nearly as surprised about it as Mitch was. He quickly turned around and flinched, his eyes wide and a bit scared. If Adam wouldn't have been so sad, he would have ignored it due to his anger. Now he could scrutinize him a bit longer, a bit more precisely.<br>Adam hadn't seen his former friend in months, but nonetheless he saw the haunted look in his eyes, the mistrust and the fear. A second later it was gone and with a careful smile on his face he took the blanket. "Thank you. I don't want to be rude, but can I maybe-"  
>Mitch slowly looked at the furnace and for a short moment Adam felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips. "Sure, use it. You'll find the wood outside."<p>

Adam cursed himself in his thoughts.  
>His tone gave it away.<p>

Mitch stopped his movement and slowly turned around to look at Adam longer than before. He had heard it clearly in the tone of his voice. After the anger was gone, all that was left was his sadness. His guest took a second to think twice, before he asked carefully, "Are you okay?" He didn't move and looked very sincere, but Adam knew better. He had to remind himself, how this guy in front of him really thought of his supposedly friends. His nice attitude had fooled them once before and got them to make a horrible decision. Adam would never do the same mistake twice. His stare turned frosty.

"See you later I guess."

"…Good night."

Mitch sounded disappointed, as Adam turned around and left the living room without another word. The hate that had been replaced by his sadness slowly bubbled up again and he embraced it dearly. With the help of the photo in the bin, which he passed on his way to the bedroom, the anger became stronger and satisfied about the more appealing emotions Adam went to bed.  
>This night he hadn't got a restful sleep at all.<p>

Even on the next morning his mind was still filled with thoughts of Alesa, Mitch, the offer of Microsoft and Team Crafted. It was as quite as always and Adam enjoyed the moment of silence, which was only interrupted by some birds outside. A little smile slipped on his face, as he smelled fresh coffee. Then he froze. Had it been Mitch? Probably.  
>The smile disappeared and already having a bad mood, Adam went to the bathroom to get himself ready for the day.<p>

Thick clouds painted the sky in a sick grey, hiding the sun from the world. Adam sighed as he entered the kitchen and looked skeptically around. "What the heck-?" he uttered confused and glanced at the table in the middle of the room, which was set for breakfast. A coffeepot stood near a plate and a cup, also there was a bread basket with his favorite things from the bakery. Taking a deep breath he moved forward and found a little note on the plate.

_I'm really sorry – for everything. :(_

"Damn it Mitch, can't you just behave like an asshole, please?" he rambled with a low voice in case he was near.  
>It was such a nice gesture and again Adam felt the hate disappear. He tried to maintain it, but it was no use. Looking around he couldn't see Mitch anywhere, so he allowed himself a small smile and sat down on the table to enjoy his breakfast. It was delicious and after finishing the meal he stood up again to find his guest. He had to be somewhere. Was he recording a video for YouTube?<p>

At first Adam looked in the living room, but there was no trace of Mitch. He was already turning around to search the other rooms, as he noticed a figure outside on the terrace sitting in one of the chairs. "Ah, caught you!" he grinned and walked over to the door leading outside. Before he exited the house he took a second to let the friendly expression vanish, then he opened the door and stepped outside.

"Morning."  
>He got no answer.<p>

At first Adam wanted to explode and scream at the guy who was even above himself to greet him, but then he stood in front of Mitch and saw the actual reason. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and his eyes were closed, as he continued to sleep peacefully. Without saying a word Adam picked up the dirty dishes and brought them back into the kitchen. It was too cold to have breakfast outside, but nonetheless Mitch had done it because he knew that Adam wouldn't eat with him at the same table.

Guilt mixed with his anger, for once directed at himself, and with a sigh he picked up a red woolen blanket. Back outside Mitch's position hadn't changed and careful not to wake him he put the blanket over the sleeping form of the Canadian. His hands rested on Mitch's shoulders and longer than necessary Adam scrutinized his pale face again. He would never admit it, but Mitch was as handsome as he had been back then, even though he had dark rings under his eyes. Another sigh escaped his lips, he got back up and sat down on the other chair.

Usually Adam enjoyed the silence and the chance to relax from his wonderful, but stressful job. Today he felt uneasy and got goose bumps all over his skin, but not due to the cold. The light was awkward and the clouds looked more threatening than the days before. He would prefer to go back inside, but he didn't want to leave Mitch outside all alone. Sure, Adam could just wake him up, but he looked really tired and needed some sleep.

Adam frowned.  
>Where did these damn thoughts come from? Why was he so nice all of a sudden? Mitch deserved all his anger and his hate, but… It was so easy to fall back into his old state of mind and just care for the Canadian like he did before their fight. Adam unconsciously wanted to look out for him, because he had the bad habit of not caring enough for himself when he was stressed. Obviously it didn't change over the time.<p>

Half an hour later Adam had put up his feet on another chair and was looking at his phone, as a low groan drew his attention to his right. Mitch was waking up and with a yawn he rubbed his eyes. At first he didn't seem to notice Adam in the chair beside him, as he confusedly looked down at the blanket and then up into the sky. Finally he noticed Adam and stared at him abruptly with wide, fearful eyes.

It was a short moment in which he saw the Canadian's vulnerability.  
>Unconsciously it triggered some memories, hidden deep in his thoughts-<br>_**Screams.**__ Furious words, horrible and unforgivable. Neither of them quieted down, as they pushed each other higher and higher.  
><strong>A word.<strong>__ Every noise disappeared in an instant. A disbelieving laugh and then all emotions turned to ice-cold rage.  
><strong>Another scream.<strong>__ A push, splintering glass and then a realization. But the anger didn't leave.  
><strong>Shock.<strong>__ It was written all over his face and mixed with the panic and the fear it enraged him even more._

Mitch wore the same look on his face.  
>The memories of their fight came alive once again and with them the emotions.<p>

"Morning."  
>His voice was even worse than yesterday night.<br>With satisfaction Adam watched the other one squirm under his piercing look.  
>As he released Mitch from his hateful stare, he heard him gasp for air.<br>A cruel smile adorned his face, while he watched the waves on the water.

It felt like a lifetime until Mitch suddenly stood up and turned to leave.  
>Of course Adam wouldn't let him go just like that. Too long had he kept the feelings at bay and scratched at the surface now and again. The time had come to show Mitch the true scale of the disaster that had occurred back then. Just once, just a little comment to see him break a little further…<p>

"We are not going to be friends anytime soon. You know that, don't you?"  
>Teasing. Hateful. Cold.<p>

"Of course I do."  
>A whisper, barely audible. Choking.<br>He sounded so lost, so broken in this moment that it pulled Adam out of his dark trance. His usual self, caring for others, became stronger and as he saw the trembling boy in front of him, it could lock the cruel side of him away for now. It wasn't gone completely, it never was, but Adam was able to say some nice words to calm his guest down a bit.

After all it was a condition to befriend Mitch again, otherwise he would lose his job and everything he held dear.  
>"Still, you don't have to stay in a hotel, it is way too expensive. And… thanks for the breakfast, I really appreciate it."<br>Mitch's reaction wasn't the one he was expecting. Instead of losing his tense stance it got even worse. His hands balled into fists and he began to tremble more than before. Adam bit on his lower lip. One side of him cheered because of the sight in front of him, but the other one screamed at him to do something useful for once.  
>His emotions were a mess, more than ever before.<p>

"Mitch?"  
>He didn't manage to sound as friendly as he had intended to do, more suspiciously, but it did the job and made him talk.<p>

"I'm alright," he tried to convince Adam with a horribly shaking voice, "Everything's fine."  
>Of course he failed.<p>

Before Adam had the chance to reply, Mitch hurried inside and made a beeline for the hallway. Without thinking twice Adam jumped out of his seat and followed him. He was a few steps behind the escaping Canadian as he raised his voice again, "Wait, you're obviously not! What's up?"

He should've thought twice before starting to talk.  
>Too late did he realize that his words would provoke Mitch even more.<p>

Roaring he turned around on the spot and began to yell.  
>"How <em>dare<em> you, Adam?! How the fuck dare you asking me something like that?!"

His face mirrored his inner feelings perfectly.  
>Never before had Adam been able to read the Canadian so easily.<p>

Pure desperation shimmered in his eyes, mixed with the scarred reflection of his soul. A haunted look flitted across his pale face and his hollow cheeks made him look multiple years older than he was. Adam was completely taken aback and stared at Mitch with wide opened eyes.

"I'm trying like hell to please you! Every word I said to you since our meeting is so nice I wanna _puke_, every look I give you is so charming that anyone else would've _jumped_ me by now! But no, not even the fucking breakfast showed you how goddamn serious I am about this!"  
>A dry laugh, the yelling stopped and Mitch began to talk in a voice that was even scarier – low, hollow and incredibly dark.<p>

"I know that I screwed up big time Adam, but you don't have to rub it in every second of my existence. You don't want to be friends? Alright, I can live with that, but please, Adam, _please_ don't give me the final push. It's hard enough to live with the guilt of destroying everything we held dear back then and I swear I can't stand another person doing that too."  
>The fight he had shown just seconds ago had disappeared completely. Now Mitch just looked incredibly exhausted, but not because of the lack of sleep.<p>

"I'm going to sleep a bit."  
>He turned around to go back to the couch, but Adam's voice held him back.<p>

"I can do that."  
>Mitch stopped and turned around again, his expression reserved.<br>"What?"

Adam cleared his throat, stared at the ground and then back up again with a sincere expression on his face.  
>"Not being an asshole, I mean."<p>

Mitch didn't smile. Instead he scrutinized Adam for a long time, before he replied quietly, "I would appreciate that."  
>Then he went back to the living room and left Adam alone in the hallway with a million thoughts on his mind.<p>

* * *

><p>Please leave a vote and a comment to let me know what you think of the chapter.<br>Also don't forget to check out my twitter for further infos about the stories: _ -at- Milumaus_


End file.
